Salon.com Arts & Entertainment | The devil's music: "Does it matter that Daniel Ludwig -- the 18-year-old alleged killer of his 14-year-old girlfriend's parents -- was a huge fan of hardcore Christian rock?"

(Via Salon.)

NATIONAL JOURNAL: CIA Veterans Condemn Torture (11/19/05): "Among the fundamental conceits of the architects of the Bush administration's war on terrorism is that heavy-handed interrogation is useful, even necessary, to get any information that will protect the American people, and that such interrogation techniques are devoid of negative consequences in dealing with real or suspected terrorists. One way this notion has played out in practice is the CIA's use of 'extraordinary rendition,' in which terror suspects overseas are kidnapped and delivered to third-party countries for interrogation -- which, not uncharacteristically, includes some measure of torture, and sometimes fatal torture."

(Via Crooks and Liars.)

Martini Republic » National Journal: Bush lied about Iraq from 9/21/01 forward: "According to the National Journal, ten days after 9/11 the Bush administration was presented a key intelligence report, still shrouded from Congress, that reported there were no tangible ties between Saddam and 9/11."

(Via Martini Republic.)

t r u t h o u t - Louisiana Sees Faded Urgency in Relief Effort: "Less than three months after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, relief legislation remains dormant in Washington and despair is growing among officials here who fear that Congress and the Bush administration are losing interest in their plight.

    

As evidence, the state and local officials cite an array of stalled bills and policy changes they say are crucial to rebuilding the city and persuading some of its hundreds of thousands of evacuated residents to return, including measures to finance long-term hurricane protection, revive small businesses and compensate the uninsured."

(Via t r u t h o u t.)

The Counterterrorism Blog: Jose Padilla's New Indictment Based, in Part, on USA PATRIOT Act (updated link to indictment): "Alleged 'dirty bomber' Jose Padilla was indicted on new charges that he conspired to 'murder, kidnap and maim' people overseas, along with 4 others. The indictment links Padilla to another pre-existing indictment of an alleged terrorist cell, marking the first time that Padilla has been charged in connection with terrorism activities and not just as an 'enemy combatant.'"

So, this is worth how many of these?

(Via The Counterterrorism Blog.)